Yu Suzuki wants to make Shenmue 4 more accessible to new fans

The development of Shenmue III seemed like a long journey. 18 years have passed between the latest entry and the Shenmue II. For nearly 20 years, fans have been unsure if their favorite Brawler will return. After that, the seemingly impossible happened. Yu Suzuki’s Shenmue III Kickstarter campaign has raised over $7 million and over 69,000 backers. The third chapter of Ryo Hazuki’s quest for revenge was released in 2019 to mixed critical reactions and did a “great” performance financially. Suzuki has recently expressed his enthusiasm for Shenmue IV, but mainly wants to make the game more accessible to new users.

According to VGC, Suzuki talked about Shenmue IV at a special event in Yokosuka, the city where the story takes place. Suzuki said Shenmue IV was built with longtime fans in mind. Suzuki was happy with the overall reaction to the game, but felt it wasn’t a good entry point. There are currently no “specific plans” for the Shenmue IV, but Suzuki wants to make it appealing to a wider audience.

Suzuki said at the event, “I didn’t intend to make any money with Shenmu 3 because I really responded to the voices of the fans. But since I’m running a company, I have to think about what I can do. If I keep going, I’ll sell it. We talked seriously over and over again.”

Publisher Deep Silver’s parent company, Embracer Group, made a statement on the financial success of Shenmue III in 2020 in a earnings presentation. CEO Lars Wingefors said the third game is “a key niche product.”

There are no confirmed development plans for the Shenmue IV. Nevertheless, Suzuki has expressed interest in continuing the series. In other news, Square Enix sold other products, including Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montréal, and Tomb Raider IP, to the Embracer Group.